Live cell imaging is a standard technique in experimental biology that enables the observation of isolated cells and tissue slices in real time and the testing of cellular responses to changes in buffer composition. However, most live cell imaging devices require the use of dedicated microscopes and/or specialised stage adaptors, and come at a…

The laboratory practice "Primary culture and directional differentiation of rat bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs)" is part of a required course for sophomore medical students at Tongji university, which has been conducted since 2012. Blended learning has been widely applied in medical courses. Based on a student-centered…

In biology education which is an inseparable discipline of medical and veterinary education, it is of great importance that enabling students to make practice in real conditions and gain knowledge and skills related to their professional fields during their education. It is necessary to adapt the new technologies rapidly to education rather than…

Graduating physicians in all subspecialties have an increased need for competency in radiology, particularly since the use of diagnostic imaging continues to grow. To integrate the teaching of radiology with anatomy during the first year of medical school at Howard University, a novel approach was developed to overcome the limitations of resources…

A pilot study was conducted using a cohort of 18 students, studying for their Bioscience Masters, and carrying out project work throughout the summer. On arrival for a laboratory class the students were asked to complete a baseline confidence log and answer a knowledge quiz. The confidence log and quiz were developed from ideas suggested in Draper…

The speed of sound is a physical property that can be measured easily in the lab. However, finding an inexpensive and intuitive way for students to determine this speed has been more involved. The introduction of affordable consumer-grade high-speed cameras (such as the Exilim EX-FC100) makes conceptually simple experiments feasible. Since the…

The inherent spatial complexity of the human cerebral ventricular system, coupled with its deep position within the brain, poses a problem for conceptualizing its anatomy. Cadaveric dissection, while considered the gold standard of anatomical learning, may be inadequate for learning the anatomy of the cerebral ventricular system; even with…

Learning embryology remains difficult, since it requires understanding of many complex phenomena. The temporal evolution of developmental events has classically been illustrated using cartoons, which create difficulty in linking spatial and temporal aspects, such correlation being the keystone of descriptive embryology. We synthesized the…

Despite a long tradition, conventional anatomy education based on dissection is declining. This study tested a new virtual reality (VR) technique for anatomy learning based on virtual contrast injection. The aim was to assess whether students value this new three-dimensional (3D) visualization method as a learning tool and what value they gain…

This article discusses factors in the design, commissioning, project management, and intellectual property protection of developments within a new clinical anatomy facility in the United Kingdom. The project was aimed at creating cost-effective facilities that would address widespread concerns over anatomy teaching, and support other activities…

Summarizes the capabilities of a computer program related to forest fertilization. Provides a description of input parameters, some sample exercises, software specifications, and availability information. Additional references are listed. (Author/RT)

Discussed is a program created to serve as an instructional tool for teaching basin analysis. Described is the use of the program for interpreting plots resulting from backstripping methods. Included in the discussion are implementation, applications and availability of the "Subside!" program. (CW)

Presents a computer program for use in teaching ion speciation in soil solutions. Provides information on the structure of the program, execution, and software specifications. The program estimates concentrations of ion pairs, hydrolytic species, metal-organic complexes, and free ions in solutions. (Author/RT)

Reported are the results of computer software used in eight different situations. Topics considered include scheduling, test generation, data checking, databases, temperature probes, automated samplers, wireless data communications, and the "group three" phenomenon. (CW)

Discusses electron spin resonance, a form of magnetic resonance spectroscopy, used to study electronic structure of molecules with unpaired electrons. Studies benzosemiquinone radical anions which are long-lived and inexpensive. Uses a Project SERAPHIM computer program to perform a Huckel molecular orbital calculation. (MVL)